Ribbon curler



Feb. 23, 1954 P. l.. cERoNE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 @M7/ wf Feb. 23, 1954 p CERONE 2,669,913

RIBBON CURLER Filed Nov. l, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.'

fag-girafe fwze @IM f/y/M #fram/fm "EIE- E Patented Feb. 23,'21954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RIBBON CURLER Pasquale L. Cerone, Dewitt, N. Y.

Application November 1, 1949, Serial No. 124,839

3 Claims.

This invention has to do with apparatus for automatically and continuously curling paper ribbon. It has become customary for retail stores to wrap gift packages in ornamental paper, or sheet material, and to adorn the package with bows, or ornaments, formed out of curled, colored, paper ribbon. Usually the curling of the paper ribbon is accomplished by the clerk by drawing the ribbon between the thumb and a blade, such as the blade of a pair of scissors. 'I'his consumes aconsiderable amount of time, especially during the holiday season, and the procedure does not result in a uniform curl, or a uniform arrangement.

This invention has as an object a compact motor driven device embodying a structure which functions automatically to put a uniform, helical curve in the ribbon, the ribbon being fed through the device automatically from a supply at a fast rate, whereby the uniformly curled ribbon is produced at the rate of several yards per minute.

The invention has as a further object a device of the type referred to embodying cutting mechanism for automatically cutting the curled ribbon into uniform pieces, or sections, of any desired length.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a device embodying my invention, the housing enclosing the operating mechanism being removed.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an exploded view showing the curling bar, friction member and supporting bracket in perspective.

The device consists of a suitable frame which may be in the form of a plate I mounted upon a base II. A stud l2 is mounted on the plate IU in proximity to the upper end thereof to support a supply of uncurled ribbon, such as a spool I3. The spool is sleeved over the stud for free rotation thereon and is retained in place by a fastener I 4. The ribbon is advanced from thev supply by a pair of feed rollers I 5, IB. The roller I6 is journalled upon a stud I1 secured, at one end, to an arm I8 journaled on a stud 2n' extending from the plate I0. The roller I is xed to the end of a shaft 2I extending outwardly vided with thumb nuts 32. li.

from the face plate and which is rotated by a motor 22 secured to the opposite side of the plate I0. The roller I6 is yieldingly urged into engagement with the roller I5 by tension spring 23 secured at one end to the arm I8 and at its op-l posite end to a stud 24 projecting from the plate IIJ.

The ribbon is fed between a curling bar 25 and a friction member 26. One edge of the bar 25 is beveled, as at 2l, and the members 25, 25, are detachably secured to a bracket 28, a portion of which is formed with velongated slots 3G for the reception of mounting screws 3| pro- The bracket 28 is mounted on the plate I0 with the bar 25 arranged in juxtaposition to the feed rolls I5, I6, and parallel to the axes thereof. The feed rolls function to draw the ribbon from the supply between the bar 25 and the friction member 2a and over the beveled edge 21 thence downwardly discharging the ribbon in a vertical helix as shown in Figure 1. The bar 25 and the friction member 25 are apertured to receive screws 35 which extend through a plate 3S and thread into the bracket 28. Compression springs 31 are interposed between the heads of the screws 35 and the plate 3E, whereby the frictional engagement between the plate 25 and the member 26 may be adjusted, and which adjustment determines the tension of the ribbon as it is drawn between these members and over the beveled edge of the curling bar.

The slots 30 and bracket 28 provide adjustment of the position of the curling bar relative to the rollers I5, I6, whereby the angle of the ribbon drawn over the beveled edge 2l relative to the friction member 26 may be varied.

In the arrangement shown, the ribbon is guided between the curling plate and friction member by a roller 38 journalled upon the stud 2d. If the ribbon supply is in the nature of a long spool, as illustrated, it is preferable to feed the ribbon downwardly and about stationary pins 39, 4l), and upwardly about the roller 38 around roller 4I downwardly about the roller 38. This arrangement permits the ribbon to travel back and forth the length of the spool I3 while being unwound therefrom, the lateral movement of the ribbon being reduced as it travels about the pins 3s, 4t, so as the ribbon passes over the rollers 33, 4I, there is no lateral movement, and the ribbon is guided in a straight line between the curling plate 25 and friction member 25.

The bows or ornaments formed from the curled paper are usually formed from a plurality of pieces of the curled tape. At the present time in making these by hand operation, the clerk more or less guesses at the lengths of the pieces of curled material, with the result that the individual pieces used in forming the ornamental piece are not uniform, and the completed ornamental pieces are not uniform. I provide mechanism for severing the curled strip into uniform lengths. A structural arrangement for accomplishingr this. consists? of a guider memben 45 mountedon the plate Hl', as by screws 456. This guide member is formed with a vertically extending aperture 41 to receive the curled ribbon- 49. The member 45 is formed with a passage.` 50 extending transversely of the aperture 4T and in which there is slidably mounted aishearrblade-l I. This blade is connected to. the.plunger 5?, of a solenoid 53 by a pin 541 The solenoid* 53 is energized periodically by any conventionalL time switch indicated at155 supplied with current through. conductors 56. The blade4 5| isiyieldingly, urged outwardly inthe, position shown. in Figure 1. by,` a tension.. spring. 51, As.y the time switch liliperiodically.-V energi'zes they relay 53the shear. moves. transversely,v across the. path of. the curledQportion.-l 4'91 severing it. into, desired. lengths.

What I claim is:

l. A1. device. for continuously andautomatically curling a paper., ribboncomprisinga frame, means. for; supporting, al supply ot uncurled. ribbon, a pail; of power. operatedt feedl rolls having. their axles,y extending. horizontal in parallel. relation, a barmountecl horizontally on theframe abovev the bight of. said. feed rolls, a1 friction plate, means yieldingly urging: said: bar against one` side` of.- sad pla-ter theA upper. edgeof said bar. being. bevI eledoutwardly anddownwardly from-said friction plate, said. feed rolls beingY cooperable to ad'-4 vance the. ribbon. upwardly,r between said friction.- plate. and bar ands downwardly over. the upper beveled .edgef ofn the;- bar, and means: for. adjusting;` the, position of saidbar and friction member-'to- WardaHd fromfthe-verticaLplane passingthrough thefbight misa-id;- feedkrolls,1

2.. A device.- for, continuouslyand; autom'atioal-e ly curling.; al paper ribbon: comprising, a.- frame,

means carried-l by.) the framefor supporting; a:

supply of' uncurled ribbon; al roll journalled; in'.

4 the frame with its axis extending horizontally, a bar arranged above said roll and intermediate said roll and the supply of uncurled ribbon and said bar extending parallel to the axis of the roll, a pressure roll, means yieldingly urging said pressure roll toward said other roll, a friction member positioned against one side of said bar, a tension member mounted at each end of the bar, said tension members being independently adjustable to vary the pressure be'tlyeen said ban and fricti'orr member: power means operable' to effect rotation of said rolls and said rolls constituting feed rolls operable upon such rotation to draw saidlribbon upwardly between said bar and friction member and reversely over the edge of the b'ar' andi discharge the curled ribbon downwardly.

3..A device. for. continuously curling a paper ribbon comprising' a frame, means carried by the frame. for supporting a supply of uncurled ribbon, a pair of power operated feed rolls journalled in the.- framev fori frictionally" engaging@v opposite sides of. the: ribbom, a, bar having al beveled edge: arranged. intermediate: said supply and: said rolls and extending; parallel to the axislthereoff,v adria;-r tion: member positioned: against oneside; ot', the bar;. saidi feedr rollsr` being operable: toy draw: the ribbon from said supply between saidbar. and: friction member and: reversely over thev beveledl edge: ot the bar and@ discharge. the: ribbon't ver1- t-ically,` andi means. adjustable:v to:` varyy tlref fria.-1 tional engagement between-.saidA frictionmember and theribbon;

PASQlJAiluE,I L: CERGN'E,

References-.oued in the me of. thisipatentl.

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